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What does a person need to travel around the world? Time, US$3,000 and courage -- that's the answer from Zhu Zhaorui, a Chinese with an MBA from Britain.
Last May, with US$3,305.27, Zhu, 33, began a world tour that lasted for 77 days, in which he visited 28 countries in Central and North America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Realizing a globe-trotting dream most Chinese deem impossible, Zhu also created a mythic impression of traveling the world comfortably and frugally.
The US$3,305.27 covered the transportation and lodging expenses Zhu incurred, but excluded money for meals and shopping.
Zhu, who was in Shenzhen promoting a book about his travels, with US$3,000, emphasized that his tour was not an ascetic one, as he flew a lot and often stayed in upscale hotels. "The most important things are choosing the right kind of traveling tools and early planning," said Zhu, who spent six months plotting the trip.
Zhu made the bold decision in autumn, 2001, after he made a bet with his British roommate that a Chinese citizen can also travel around the world.
An economic round-the-world ticket made Zhu's tour possible. After comparison shopping and bargaining on the Internet, Zhu bought a 775-pound (US$1,108.25) round-the-world ticket for 682 pounds. With the ticket, Zhu was allowed to fly in one direction around the world with six stopovers.
He carefully selected six cities for the stopovers. And he chose the rest of itineraries between these cities with equal care.
According to Zhu, the most satisfying ticket he had bought was one from Sweden to Finland. From Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, to Finland's capital, Helsinki, the fare was about US$200.
He plans to visit South America, Africa and Antarctic in 2004, again with US$3,000. But from Stockholm to Tampere, the third largest city in Finland, the ticket fare was only US$0.93 -- 200 times cheaper than the former.
(Shenzhen Daily December 31, 2003)
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